by Jess Buffett
Before he could answer, Jonas walked into the room as well. Micah and two other men followed. The first was even taller than the Rege, with a large, strong build. Blond hair sat on top, and piercing blue eyes scanned the room. The second was a little short, also with blond hair, but his hung to his shoulders and fell in the way of big brown eyes that seemed to look straight through you.
Jordan couldn’t help but notice Micah looking a little rumpled, or the expression of satisfaction the Rege wore. What the hell was that about?
When the door closed behind the new arrivals, he saw Riley cock an eyebrow and glance around the room. “Damn. This place is filling up quicker than a whorehouse on dime night. So what’s up?”
“That’s what I would like to know,” Jonas said, glancing from Jordan to Colton, then back again. “I’ve asked Kellan and Brett to join me, I assume that won’t be a problem?”
“No, not at all.” Jordan wanted to sigh in relief when he realised neither of them were the traitor. “We need to ask you some questions about one of your people, Jonas. And if it goes the way I think it will, then we need everyone here for it.”
Jonas’s eyes narrowed. “Who?”
“Michael, one of your Mareșals,” Colton said. Jordan could hear the hesitancy in his mate’s tone. “You said he was your tech guy, that he is the one who takes care of your systems. Does he answer to anyone else as far as that goes?”
“No, not really. Though he does answer to Kellan and Brett when it comes to his Mareșal duties,” he said, indicating to the two men standing with him.
Damn, this just got more complicated. If he didn’t really have anyone looking over his shoulder, then how long had this been going on? Someone so high up the ranks brought into question how deep the corruption of Jonas’s Coven went. Jordan had no idea how he was going to handle this with Jonas, but he knew it would have to be carefully.
“Then I really only have one question,” Colton suddenly said. “Do you trust him?”
Jordan winced at his mate’s bluntness.
Yeah…or that works too.
* * * *
Colton
“Do you trust him?” he asked Jonas point-blank.
The Rege seemed taken aback at first, then his eyes narrowed. “He has been a Mareșal to this Coven since my father was Rege.”
“I’m sorry, Jonas, but that didn’t answer the question.” He needed to know.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t,” the Vampire countered. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”
He took a step back at the aggression in the other man’s voice. Colton suddenly didn’t feel very secure. He had no way of knowing if Jonas would believe what he suspected, and past consequences had taught him it was usually best to keep your mouth shut.
He had grown comfortable and complacent in the Hunter Clan. But he wasn’t there anymore. In fact, the man he was talking to was the brother of the man who had killed his parents, and taken everything from him.
Fuck! Why hadn’t he remembered that?
Colton felt Jordan come up behind him, the hand his mate placed on his back warm and comforting. “Honey, you need to tell Jonas what you’ve found. He isn’t going to hurt you. I wouldn’t let him anyway.”
Jonas’s eyes abruptly softened, a look of regret on his face. “I’m sorry, Colton. My anger isn’t at you, but at the possibility of being betrayed by someone I trusted…again.”
The last “but” was whispered softly, but its impact was just as strong. Here in front of him wasn’t a great Rege, powerful and strong. It was a broken man who had discovered someone he loved was a monster, and that maybe there were more.
He leaned back into Jordan, as his mate wrapped his arms around him. “Your system has almost no guards on it. While a simpleton couldn’t get in, anyone with even half my knowledge would be able to find a way in eventually.”
“What does that mean?” Jonas eyed him warily.
“It means…the person in charge of your system has left you vulnerable, and if they know what they are doing, then it was done on purpose.”
Colton shuddered at the transformation he witnessed. Claws shot out from Jonas’s fingertips, his fangs dropped even lower, and a red tinge over took the normally hazel orbs. The rumble coming from the other man’s chest was that of pure rage. Jonas took a few deep breaths, seeming to try and calm himself. When it worked enough for his claws to retract, the Vampire turned to his Viserego and lead Mareșal.
“Kellan, Brett. Bring Michael up to the control room,” Jonas ordered.
“He might run,” Kellan warned.
“Maybe,” the leader sighed. “Don’t let on that anything is out of the ordinary.”
“On it.”
They watched the two Vampires leave the room, before Jonas’s eyes slid to Colton. “How sure are you?”
He wished he could lie to the man, tell him he was sure it was a mistake. But he couldn’t. “I’m positive. If this guy knows what he is doing, and he is in charge of it all, then there is no way he doesn’t know.”
Uncomfortable, and uncertain, Colton concentrated on what he knew best, and pulled up all the evidence they had discovered. Only minutes later, the control room door was pushed open to reveal three people. The new face was a tall, lean male, with dark hair and hazel eyes. He strolled in, frowning at everyone congregated in the small room. Kellan and Brett followed behind, their eyes never leaving the man in front of them.
He knew the man standing closest to him was Michael…the betrayer. Colton couldn’t help take an instinctive step back, and Michael must have seen it.
Taking one look at the screen behind Colton, the Vampire’s expression darkened, and Michael leapt at him, his claws unsheathed as he snarled. “What did you tell them?”
Kellan held him back with little effort, and if it weren’t for the fury in the Vampire’s gaze, Colton would have thought the man was simply bored.
Jonas on the other hand was incensed. “Colton found the vulnerabilities you left in the system. You left us wide open to attack.”
“He’s lying. You can’t honestly believe this little twerp,” Michael spat.
Oh jeez. Colton really wished Jonas hadn’t said his name. The guilty Vampire looked slightly unbalanced.
“Enough,” Jonas shouted, so loud it made Colton jump.
Michael immediately went limp in Kellan’s arms. “My Rege. I don’t know what this animal told you, but I haven’t done anything. I have always stood by your family, honoured them, and served them. You know this. Why would I betray your family?”
Micah snorted, and Colton threw him a look.
“Yes,” Jonas sighed. “You have always been loyal, Michael.”
Colton glanced at the Rege in shock. Was he honestly going to believe this dickhead over Colton?
When Jonas’s eyes met his, Colton saw a spark of something. A knowledge that only Jonas had. The Vampire’s next words confirmed his suspicions.
“You have been loyal and unwavering, prepared to do anything”—Jonas pinned the traitor with a glare—“for Darius. Not for my family.”
Michael paled, his eyes darting back and forth between them. “D–Darius is dead.”
“No he isn’t, but you already knew that didn’t you.” Jonas’s hand suddenly whipped out, clamping around Michael’s throat. “You’ve known since the day he disappeared that he was still alive, haven’t you?”
Colton saw the truth written on Michael’s face. He knew. He just hadn’t known that they knew. Bastard.
Michael’s eyes grew cold, an about-face from moments ago. “You were never fit to lead us. Darius was the one with the visions, he still is. You will always be the little boy who never really understood what was going on in front of him. Oblivious to the world around you,” he sneered.
Colton expected Jonas to shout, to lash out. Michael had just insulted the leader.
Instead there was just a flick of a hand, claws extended, and then Jonas raked them across the other man’s face. Colton s
tumbled back into his mate’s hold, cringing at the sight of blood. He had never been able to handle it.
“You are dead to me,” Jonas snarled, his voice so deep and distorted it sounded animallike. “You will pay for your crimes, be punished as the traitor you are.”
“I’m not the traitor,” Michael spat. “You are. You turned against your own brother. You’re leading our people down the wrong path, and we will all pay for it. You’re weak, Jonas. You should have never been our Rege.”
Jonas surprised everyone by agreeing. “You’re right.”
“Jonas, yo—”
The Rege held up his hand to silence his second, Kellan. He turned his cold, hard gaze back to the traitor. “I was never supposed to lead. But then my ever courageous brother ran away like a spoiled little child when he didn’t get his own way.”
Jonas’s snide remark set Michael off, the Vampire growling and snarling. “You’re not even half the man Darius is.”
“Get him out of here,” Jonas commanded, his hazel eyes blazing with anger.
Colton watched as Kellan and Brett dragged an almost rabid Michael out of the room. “Damn.”
“That about sums it up.” Jonas let out a desolate sigh. “I wonder just how bad things are going to get some days, then I instantly regret the thought, because it usually gets worse. We need to stay focused though. If Darius and Potestas still have control over some of my men—”
The sudden sound of an alarm blasting interrupted the Rege. Colton almost laughed. He had become so accustomed to hearing the sound at the Hunter Clan estate, that he no longer batted an eyelid at it.
“Shit. What now?” Jordan muttered, as they followed the Vampire leader out of the control room and down the hall.
Hitting the end of the corridor, Colton paled. There on the floor covered in way too much blood was Brett. The Rege’s third lay lifeless on the ground, his throat having been torn out. There was no sign of Michael or Kellan, and for a moment Colton thought perhaps Kellan had helped the traitor escape.
“No,” Jonas cried out in agony.
Colton and Jordan drew back as Jonas hissed, nails turning into sharp talon-like claws. The red tinge to the Vampire’s eyes was almost eerie, but Colton was more focused on his fangs. Almost twice as long, they looked impossibly sharper. Deadly was the word.
He had never been overly fond of Vampires, Darius’s torment over the years making it difficult to see them in a positive light, but until then Colton hadn’t realised just how terrifying they could be. Not like this. Not even Darius could have pulled off this look of pure malevolence.
Damn good thing he’s on our side!
With one last snarl, Jonas took off, bursting through the front door. Colton and Jordan chased after him, ready to help. A surge of pride shot through him that Jordan didn’t try to stop him. His mate saw him as an equal.
That feeling faded quickly, however, as he caught sight of the shit storm waiting for them outside.
“Jesus christ!”
He didn’t know who said it, but he wholeheartedly agreed. The place was swarmed with intruders. Colton had never seen an attack this large before. So close to the city, he had no idea how they were going to keep this one quiet. Potestas was certainly getting bolder.
Not hesitating, Colton shifted, his clothes tearing and bones cracking. Moments later his paws hit the ground, a growl rumbling from deep inside.
Tilting his head, he saw that Jordan had changed too, his Wolf’s stunning gold and brown fur coat shimmering under the moon. Nudging the other man’s shoulder to let him know he was ready, Colton launched forward and into the fray.
Dodging blasts from Warlocks and claws from animals, Colton fought his way through the crowd until he found himself beside Jonas and a badly wounded Kellan. Skin pale, the stark red that matted the Vampire’s golden locks stood out, his shirt had been shredded and Colton could smell the copper tang of blood.
Colton watched in satisfaction as Jonas grabbed hold of Michael and threw him to the ground, the traitor obviously having been unable to flee the estate in time. Kellan stood over the prone man, his claws unsheathed, eyes blood red with his need for vengeance.
“This is for Brett,” the Vampire snarled, swinging out and tearing into Michael’s flesh.
The betrayer’s screams came to an abrupt halt when Kellan took a final swipe.
Another blast suddenly shot out just nipping his tail and Colton hissed, turning to face the Warlock who had thrown it. He realised his mistake, however, when sharp claws sliced through his skin, piercing the flesh. The Wizard had just been a distraction, keeping him focused so another could attack. He let out a howl as he fell but found himself unable to move. More blows came, his Panther’s body screaming out in raw agony. When he slumped to the ground, unable to fight, the claws disappeared. Out the corner of his eye he saw the Tiger who had swiped at him saunter off, no doubt on the prowl for his next target.
Using everything he had, Colton tried to stand on all fours again. He needed to find his mate.
Blood dripped down his face, and his stomach clenched as he felt more dampness on his back. His legs began to shake, and soon they were too weak to support him, his Panther form falling back to the ground. He could do nothing, but watch helplessly as Potestas continued their attack, many of Jonas’s men falling. Searching frantically for his mate, Colton wanted to cry out in despair when he couldn’t find Jordan, though all he could manage was a snarl.
Where was his Wolf?
Ready to admit defeat for the first time in his life, his breath left him as the vision of a bird of fire filled the air. Sure he was hallucinating, all Colton could do was lay there stunned as the creature flared out its wings, the fire burning even brighter. No longer able to stand the brightness or the heat, Colton struggled to cover his eyes. Piercing screams flooded the air, the purest form of agony he had ever heard. He begged and prayed to a deity he had never believed in that the sounds weren’t coming from the people he cared about.
Oh god. Jordan.
When the heat abruptly disappeared and the noises were cut off, Colton lay frozen, unable to move. What the fuck had just happened?
He snarled and lashed out with a paw as a hand landed on his shoulder.
“Whoa, honey. It’s just me.”
He knew that voice. Jordan.
His head shot up and his eyes met the green and blue gaze of his mate. Shifting back as quickly as he could, given how much pain he was in, his head fell back down, too heavy for him to lift.
“Hey. It’s okay. Just rest, honey. Everything is okay now,” Jordan reassured him. “God, you scared me. Never. You are never allowed out of my sight. Do you hear me?”
He tried to smile, though he was sure he failed. “I’ll keep that in mind next time.”
“You do that.”
Colton’s eyes flicked around as he frowned. “H–how? I was sure we were losing.”
Jordan gathered Colton carefully in his arms, pulling him into his lap. He went with it, unable move on his own.
“We had help from an old friend.” His mate chuckled. “You could say he blew them away with his entrance.”
Huh?
Lifting his tired head, Colton searched for the others that had been with them. Riley and Caleb stood over near Jonas and Micah, Riley clutching his injured mate as he looked the Vampire over. Caleb, for what it was worth, seemed to be enjoying the attention. He hadn’t even remembered the Mage joining the fight. Kellan stood just a few feet away with some men he didn’t recognise, but their eyes were glued on something behind him. Frowning, Colton twisted in his mate’s lap, shock jolting through him. In the middle of the field where they had been battling stood one of the largest men he had ever seen, and if Colton wasn’t mistaken, he was on fucking fire.
“Who the hell is that?” he whispered in awe.
Chapter 8
Jordan
Jordan swiped another paw out, relishing the shriek that came from the enemy as he took the Tiger do
wn. He had never seen himself as particularly bloodthirsty before, but these bastards were the same people who had held his mate for years and had torn Colton’s family apart…literally.
The front lawns of the Vaucluse Coven had suddenly become a battle zone. The gate had been taken down, and enemies of all species had filled the area. Not even the Hunter Clan had faced an attack of this magnitude before.
Jordan had managed to intercede more than four intruders who had gone after Jonas specifically, and he couldn’t help but think this attack was a last-ditch effort from Darius to try and remove his brother for good. The Rege, for the most part, didn’t seem to need the help though, the power coming from him even causing a Wolf as strong as Jordan to tremble.
A Tiger Shifter shot out of nowhere and tried to attack him. The sly bastard would have succeeded, too, had another Wolf, just as large as Jordan, suddenly appeared. The black Wolf took the Tiger down swiftly, his teeth clamping around the feline’s neck. The Shifter hissed and jerked, but eventually ceased moving. When the unknown Wolf lifted his head, Jordan paused, shocked to recognise those amber eyes. Micah.
Micah nodded at Jordan before taking off to find more prey. Shit, with the speed in which Micah had taken down that Tiger, Jordan knew he had no choice, but to allow the man to try out for a role as Ishad. He was fucking impressive.
A few moments later, he found himself fighting back-to-back with the other Wolf again, a mixed group of paranormals surrounding and boxing them in. Just when he thought they were in real trouble, however, those on the verge of attack were suddenly enveloped by flames. Blinking in shock, Jordan grinned when Riley came into view, sending him a wink before lighting up another one of their enemies. How did he always forget how dangerous the short little shit could be?
A familiar howl tore through the air distracting Jordan, and his blood froze.
Colton.
Desperate for any sign of his mate, Jordan let out a vicious snarl, ducking and weaving through the crowd. They were losing, he could feel it. They had never experienced an attack like this.
